art with a spiritual flavour | the more-or-less official blog of pacific theatre

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

PASSION PROJECT | Audience / Critic Response

Closes Saturday Feb 6

"Pacific Theatre has never looked so cool. . . . There was a sense – for me at least – that this was a thought-through environment. Nothing felt haphazard, from the way a small hook hung off the structure, to the way the frames were lined up on the floor. . . . Farrington has given time to this work and the sense of living with this project is self-evident as soon as you walk onto the floor. . . . There is a final, and perhaps unintended, layer at work with this presentation. Although I’m not sure how interested Farrington is in the original story of Joan of Arc and the relationship between her passion and that of Christ’s, the work was brought to Vancouver by Ron Reed of Pacific Theatre...(which) frequently programs work that explores issues of spirituality and belief. Just as I think this is a work that will speak to an audience versed in the visual arts; I also think it is a work that will resonate with those immersed in Christianity and its imagery. Easily the most striking moment of the evening (and the most theatrical) is when Nicoll gathers all the screens together into a column, securing them with ropes. It echoes Joan’s experience of being prepared for the fire that will consume her body (and by using the frames further echoes the experience that Dreyer had with the prints of his original film going up in flames). It is hard to escape this resonance of a martyr’s death in a Christian theatre that is itself in the basement of a church: a church which, no doubt, contains images of Christ’s own passion." Andrew Templeton, Plank

"Passionate About The Passion Project"I’m not sure what happened. . . . I was interested, then intrigued, then involved, then absorbed. At some point, my eyes filled with tears. When it was over, I didn’t want to move. Or talk. . . . The show is called The Passion Project and it is a marvel of interdisciplinary genius. . . ."Angela Konrad, Irresistable Theatre

"Thank you so much for bringing that show to Vancouver. It was exhilarating and inspirational. . . . It defied description because it is so many things. A rare gem." Stefan Wrenshall, filmmaker

"Astonishing and powerful . . . an emotional experience to rival the film It is dark and tragic but also ecstatic, something like martyrdom I suppose. . . . If you’re interested in performance, film history or anything that pushes boundaries, then see this show." Geist Magazine

"I imagine every person who goes to see this performance installation will have a different interpretation. That is the beauty of art." - Sabrina Evertt, An Unidentified Production